TV Parking

toedtoes wrote:

BubbaChris wrote:

Not that much difference from RV parks which have rules that enforce some common courtesy. In fact these homes were on land so valuable that your neighbor's house was about 12 feet (total) from yours on each side - perhaps more snug than many commercial RV parks? So this rule was one of many to help keep things from getting uncivil in such close quarters.

I moved out of state 3 years ago to a much roomier place in one of the least regulated neighborhoods in our city. So zero complaints last summer about my TT spending it's non-camping time on our driveway.

I think the difference is that you are "renting" the space in an RV Park. That would be comparable to renting a house or an apartment - where you are subject to rules determined by the property owner. With HOAs, you own the property, but are subject to rules made by someone else.

The "someone else" is usually the property developer, and later your neighbors. One of the phrases used to legally describe the entity the HOA covers is "Common Interest Development" So it is a form of local government controlled by your fellow owners. For the HOA's I've lived in it was more difficult to establish new more-restrictive rules than it is for the city council (or other appropriate government entity) to enact a new law.

At the time I was willing to trade some restrictions on my behaviors because I knew the benefits were worth it. I was in the last one for 17 years and I'm still glad we lived there (even after spending time on the HOA Board of Directors). One of my goals in avoiding an HOA this time is to manage expenses as we hope to retire in this house. I initially was wary of the funkiness of our new area, but I've grown to appreciate the hidden charms that go with the variety around here.